The World Health Organization and COVID-19: A Late Start but Catching-Up
The World Health Organization and COVID-19: A Late Start but Catching-Up

Author(s): Szymon Zaręba
Subject(s): Governance, International relations/trade, Management and complex organizations, Health and medicine and law
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: The World Health Organization (WHO); COVID-19 pandemic; WHO’s late reaction to outbreak of pandemic; crisis management;
Summary/Abstract: After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) was slow to make the necessary decisions, which could be perceived as unfavourable, particularly by the Chinese authorities. The reasons for the delay include an information deficit and insufficient verification of data, inadequate risk assessment, and presumably also political considerations. Although WHO has gradually begun to invoke important initiatives to stop COVID-19, some states and experts are critical of its initial management of the crisis. Once the crisis is over, the organisation will face the return to a debate about reform.

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